A data center is a specialized facility that provides data serving and backup as well as other network-based services for subscribers and other entities. For example, a data center may comprise a facility that hosts applications and services for subscribers, i.e., customers of the data center. A data center in its most simple form may consist of a single facility that hosts all of the infrastructure equipment, such as networking and storage systems, servers, redundant power supplies, and environmental controls.
Customers using data centers want assurances about what services the customers are receiving relative to service level agreements (SLAs) for which the customers are paying. Information about the level and quality of services may be less transparent to customers in the data center environment.